NV OSHA Updates Guidance On Face Coverings

The Nevada Occupational Safety & Health Administration (NV OSHA) has issued a revised guidance for Nevada employers to address the CDC’s announcement that fully vaccinated individuals are no longer required to wear face coverings in many situations. Today’s guidance supersedes NV OSHA’s May 10 guidance.

Before determining whether fully vaccinated employees can stop wearing face coverings, NV OSHA requires employers to conduct a Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) for each task, procedure, or instance that is identified where transmission of the COVID-19 virus is an immediate concern. “Any JHA drafted for this purpose must be equivalent in detail and scope as identified in Federal OSHA publication 3071. A JHA developed for this purpose must identify the task being addressed, hazard being addressed (spread of COVID-19), and controls to be used to address the hazard.”

Employers must continue to provide and require face coverings for unvaccinated employees in accord with prior guidance. Employers should still close or limit access to common areas where employees are likely to gather and maintain the cleaning, sanitation and daily survey procedures set forth in NV OSHA’s prior guidance. Employers should also post signage for the public on the CDC’s most recent guidance for the vaccinated and unvaccinated and should encourage employees to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

NV OSHA reminds employers that the Division of Industrial Relations Safety Consultation and Training Section (SCATS) offers free consultations to businesses to help them implement these requirements and comply with Nevada’s health and safety guidance and directives. SCATS can be reached by calling 1-877-4SAFENV.

We encourage employers to carefully review this updated guidance from NV OSHA. If you have questions or need assistance with a Job Hazard Analysis, please contact a KZA attorney.   

KZA Employer Report articles are for general information only; they are not intended and should not be construed to be legal advice. Reading or replying to such articles does not establish an attorney-client relationship. In addition, because the subject matters and applicable laws discussed in Employer Report articles are often in a state of change and not always applicable to every type of business entity or organization, readers should consult with counsel before making decisions based on the same.